But the name changes for John Musker and Ron Clements' Moana have been more dramatic than any other animated feature in recent memory. Throughout much of Europe, the film (and title character) have been renamed Vaiana, while in Italy, the film is called Oceania, which describes the region where the film is set.
The Italian-language version of Moana kept the main character's name as Vaiana, but switched the title to Oceana to avoid referencing a prominent adult film star well-known in Italy, Moana Pozzi.
Moana (also known as Vaiana or Oceania in some markets) is a 2016 American animated musical fantasy action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures.
Disney's Moana is set on the fictional island of Motunui. She is selected to sail and return the heart of Te Fiti, an island goddess, after it is stolen by the demigod Maui to give mankind the power of creation. Te Feti's heart is symbolized in a pounamu stone amulet which is lost to the depths.
Moana's home island, Motunui, is fictional, but the production team drew a map of Moana's journey (which can be found in the book The Art of Moana) that places Motunui east of Tonga, near the real-world location of Niue. Te Fiti's island was based on Tahiti.
Moana as she appears in Moana (2016). Inspired by Polynesian mythology, Moana is depicted as the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti.
Some enjoy the movie but believe Maui should have been portrayed as a warrior. "As a proud Polynesian woman, it's not often that you see a film like Moana come out. It headlines our Pasifika culture, and it's lead by our Polynesian artists in the industry.
In Moana, Disney creators employed some creative license, but they did highlight some actual Polynesian origin myths. In “The Maui Myths,” Maori natives of Tolago (today called Tolaga) Bay, North Island, New Zealand recount Maui's mytho-history which aided in the creation of Moana.
Does Te Fiti exist in real life? Te Fiti is not a real place. However, the creators of Moana did base Te Fiti on Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia.
The fictional movie takes place 3,000 years ago in the islands of Polynesia, an area that includes Hawaii, Tonga and Tahiti. The star is 16-year-old Moana, voiced by Hawaiian actress Auli'i Cravalho, who goes on an ocean voyage with Maui, voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The Hawaiian-language version of Moana is being produced by the University of Hawaiʻi Academy for Creative Media (ACM) System in collaboration with Walt Disney Character Voices International.
I would add more countries that are represented through the princesses. I agree with Aurora being Italian, but we never seem to know what the Disney princesses'cultures are. PrincessBellefrance wrote: I agree with Aurora being Italian, but we never seem to know what the Disney princesses'cultures are.
It is a beautiful Hawaiian given name meaning "ocean, sea, or expanse of water." The name has been a firm favorite among Polynesian communities for years, gaining global popularity with the release of Disney's epic animated film in 2016.
Meaning:Trickster god. Maui is a boy's name of Hawaiian and Maori origin. This name belongs to a trickster god in Polynesian mythology, and was also given to one of the Hawaiian islands. The 2016 Disney film Moana brought the name Maui into popular culture with Dwayne Johnson's playful portrayal of the god.
5) In the film's novelization, Moana's age is given as 16. This makes her the only Disney princess to be voiced by an actress younger than herself. Moana was released on Cravalho's 16th birthday.
The arrival of fast food restaurants and other contemporary food items on the islands are one of the issues responsible for the obesity in Samoa. The earliest photographs of Samoans provide visual proof of the native population's natural physique before the introduction of processed foods by Western society.
Moana—pronounced “moh-AH-nah,” not “MWAH-nah” means “ocean”—and the character is chosen by the sea itself to return the stolen heart of Te Fiti, who turns out to be an island deity (Tahiti, in its various linguistic forms, including Tafiti, is a pan-Polynesian word for any faraway place).
The main focus of spiritual devotion in Moana is the islanders, and particularly Moana's, faith in Te Fiti. This island goddess is the highest being, and even another god, Maui bows to her. This strengthens the fact that life revolves around nature, and faith in nature roots the spirit.
Everything from the island homes (created in the form of the traditional Samoan fale) to the tattoos on Maui's back (a nod to Polynesian tattooing) are a tribute to Polynesian heritage. As culturally accurate as Disney tried to make Moana, the company and movie don't speak for all of Polynesia and its people.
